Homemade pizza. I got a 'pizza stone' for Christmas and never used it, until now. Not too crazy for it. I'll stick to cooking pizza in my BBQ, with real lump charcoal; the ONLY way to make pizza.
OK, recipe time:
Pizza Sauce
Traditional Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
In a medium saucepan, sauté garlic and onions in olive oil for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add seasonings and continue cooking 4 more minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, and then tomato paste. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Pizza Dough
Add the following ingredients IN ORDER
2 Tbls. Sugar
1 Tbls. Salt
1 Tbls. Pure Olive Oil
3/4 (.75) Cup Warm Water
1 Cup Bread Machine Flour
1 tsp. Instant Yeast
1 Cup Bread Machine Flour
Developing
Mix ingredients in a bowl for electric mixer and use the 'mix' attachment for 5 minutes on 'medium' speed, or until bread mixture is well combined. Switch over to a 'hook' attachment, that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and mix for 15 more minutes again on 'medium' speed.
After dough is properly kneaded, form into a tight, round ball and place in a very large bowl with a light coat of olive oil (2 tsp.) covering the entire ball and inside bowl. Next, place plastic wrap directly on ball to cover and place bowl in the fridge. Wait 24 hours. Time is needed to develop flavor and proper yeast gases.
After time is up, take out dough ball and cut in half. Form each piece into a flat disc by pounding and flattening on counter top (DO NOT use flour). Form back into a smooth, round ball. Cover dough ball with tea towel for 30 minutes.
After time has passed, flour a pizza peal and flatten dough ball on peal into a disc using the heal of your hand and moving dough around in a circular pattern while slightly stretching it out. Once you have the desired shape, form a 'lip' on the outer edge of pizza dough by stretching a few inches from the outer edge and forming a large lip on the outer edge of your pizza dough. Next, stretch pizza dough by passing dough back and forth from one hand to the other while rotating dough in a circular motion. Spin dough in the air and occasionally stretch dough with your knuckles and on peal. Let pizza dough stand for 30 more minutes uncovered on peal.
After waiting 30 minutes, lightly coat pizza dough with olive oil. Add pizza sauce while making sure not to add too much or pizza will fall apart while eating. Add herbs now, if you wish to do so, or they will burn while in oven. Add cheese of choice, but equal parts provolone, jack and mozzarella with a light sprinkle of Parmesan is more traditional. Add toppings of your choice, but just try a cheese pizza once and I doubt you'll use any toppings at all.
Cooking
Place on top of heated pizza stone (takes about 20 minutes to heat) in a heated oven set to 500 degrees and cook for about 7 minutes. Rest pizza for 3 minutes before cutting or it will fall apart.
Enjoy!
